Katie the Beautiful
by Symbolist
Summary: [Cinderella] Katie's life took a drastic turn when her mother was killed and her father remarried to a wicked woman. Complete 2.19.04
1. Duchess Starina

Hey! This is my third fanfic on here, the first being Loving the Prince (which, I promise, will be updated soon!) and the second A Wolf's Crush. This is based on Cinderella, with different versions tied in here and there. Please read and review, good and bad, no flames though please. Enjoy!  
  
**NOTE: This chapter has been updated with spelling errors fixed and a few wordings corrected. Thank you!**  
  
Chapter 1: Duchess Starina  
  
Katherine Margaret Eleanor yawned as she woke. A breeze was coming in from the only window in the little room. Katie rolled over onto her stomach and looked out the window. Far, far off in the distance was a beautiful white castle. The towers were topped with blue cones and the windows in the towers were long slits. Down below were huge windows with many panes of glass. It was beautiful.  
  
Katie stood and dressed in the dress she wore every day, a simple brown dress with airy sleeves and flowing, tattered, ankle-length skirt. She hurriedly plaited her long, light brown hair and tied her apron on in the kitchen. She scooped the apron up like a big pocket and filled the pocket with corn. Grabbing a cloth-lined basket, sneaking a carrot into her apron, and greeting her mother with a "Morning," she hurried outside to the chicken coop and scattered the corn. Twelve chickens came running out and started pecking at the corn. While they were eating, Katie entered the coop and collected twelve eggs, one from each nest. She took the eggs inside to Margaret, her mother, and ran outside to her horse.  
  
"Morning, Brownie," she said to the chestnut-brown horse. The horse whinnied and trotted over to the scoop Katie had filled with hay.  
  
"Morning, Katie," Brownie replied. That was the one odd thing about Katie -- she could talk to animals. No one knew why, no one in Katie's family had ever been magic, not fairy, witch, or troll. It was strange, but Katie didn't care. She liked talking to Brownie, he was her best, and only, friend. Brownie's eyes lit up as Katie brought out the carrot. "Your father and mother were in here last night, feeding the dogs. I hear you're going to the royal city?"  
  
Katie grinned. "Yup, we are! It's about a week's walk, but Papa and Mother want to go by carriage and that'll take two and a half days. Of course, they said if I wanted to ride you, I could. I'd be there a day earlier. But I told them no, I couldn't possibly ride you. I can't even ride you in the field. It feels so rude, riding on the back of your best friend."  
  
Brownie gave his laughing neigh. "I don't mind."  
  
"Yes, but I do. I'm going in the carriage. You can come if you want, but I will not ride you." Brownie bobbed his head up and down, meaning yes.  
  
"I understand. And thank you, but no, I don't think I'll go to the royal city. It's too busy there, I like it out here in the country." Brownie turned and started to eat. Katie left the stable and went inside where Mother had fried four eggs, one for each of them and two for Timothy, Katie's papa, who was outside, probably milking cows.  
  
"Katherine, have you packed all of you bags? We'll be staying a week, you know, and you don't want to forget anything. And you can't wear that brown one, you can only wear your nice ones... oh dear, you only have the green satin and the pink silk, don't you? We'll buy you a few new gowns in Jekk. Katherine? Katherine, pay attention, don't just sit there eating!"  
  
"Mother, if you called me Katie, I might learn to pay attention."  
  
"Sorry, Katie."  
  
"And yes, Mother, I'm all packed." Katie stood, cleared her place from the table, and started to exit the kitchen. She paused. "The royal city will be wonderful, won't it?" Katie sighed and ran off to her room.  
  
Once there, Katie gazed out her room at the towers of the far-off palace. She turned her head and could see the driveway of the little white house she lived in and the small carriage her family owned. It was once painted but the paint had peeled and what had remained of the paint faded so the color, whatever it had been, was no longer visible. The two horses that would be taking them to Jonda, the royal city, were Eloise and Bolt, Mother and Papa's horses. They were both younger and stronger than Brownie, so it made more sense for them to take the family to the royal city.  
  
Up the road, Katie could see a big black coach rolling down the rode, led by four prancing white horses. Hardly ever did someone come down the dusty road, except to see Katie and her family. Indeed, the black coach rolled into the driveway and Katie got a better look -- painted all over the black coach, in tiny, detailed work were green vines with red blooms. The driver got down from his perch and opened the door -- out stepped the recently widowed Duchess Starina, followed by six girls. All seven of them had the same black curls framing their pale-white faces and bright, green eyes. Duchess Starina straightened her red dress.  
  
Katie dashed from the window and threw her brown dress over her head. Throwing her trunk open, she grabbed the pink silk dress and stepped into it. She tied a white silk sash round her waist and made an attempt to tuck the wisps of hair that had escaped back into her braid. She dashed to the kitchen and warned her papa and mother of Duchess Starina's arrival just before there was a rap at the door.  
  
"Quick, Katie!" cried Papa, standing and running towards his room. "Answer the door!"  
  
Mother rose and left too, saying, "Stall her, we'll change as fast as we can!"  
  
"Yes, of course!" Katie ran for the door as Duchess Starina knocked again. She took a deep breath and swung the door open. Duchess Starina's face changed from impatience to sweet and glad-to-see-you. That smile was fake, Katie knew it was. And there was something evil about her, something Mother and Papa couldn't see, only Katie saw it.  
  
"Katherine!" squealed Duchess Starina. Katie winced at her full name. "So good to see you. We're leaving today, correct?" Duchess Starina made an attempt to get inside, but Katie stepped in her way.  
  
"What do you mean we're leaving?" asked Katie. "Mother, Papa, and I are leaving for Jonda today, yes. But you and your daughters aren't going with us."  
  
"Au contraire!" cried Duchess Starina, smiling and lifting her shoulders as though that was the funniest joke in the world. "We're coming! Your mother invited us!"  
  
"She WHAT?"  
  
"Yes, Katherine, I did." Katie felt her mother's hands on her shoulders. "Duchess Starina, so good to see you. I'm sorry, we were caught unaware of your arrival. Thank you, Katherine, for entertaining Duchess Starina. Go change, you can't travel in that." Katie rolled her eyes and stomped off towards her room.  
  
So that was why Mother kept calling her Katherine. Duchess Starina always insisted everyone be called by his or her full name, and she couldn't very well be an exception. Katie stepped out of the silk dress and back into the brown one, though she brushed off some of the dust and dirt and cleaned off the apron first. She carefully folded the pink dress and put it back in the trunk. Wondering if they'd all be going in the old carriage, she dragged the trunk out to the small parlor, where Duchess Starina, Papa, Mother, and the two eldest of Duchess Starina's daughters, Arena and Brenda, sat.  
  
"Oh, darling," said Papa, standing. "Let me help you take that to the carriage. We're doing luggage in carriage, people in coach." Katie nodded, biting her tongue until she and Papa were outside.  
  
"D'you mind if I ride with the luggage?" complained Katie, once they were out of the house. Duchess Starina's four younger daughters were milling about on the other side of the road, out of earshot. "I don't want the company of Duchess Starina and Arena and Brenda and Callista and Fayre and Gale and Loreen."  
  
"Wouldn't you be lonesome with just luggage to talk to?"  
  
"Papa." Katie and Papa threw the trunk onto the pile of luggage. "This is me you're talking to. I'll talk to Eloise and Bolt, to those stuffy white horses over there who are talking about all the dust on the road. I'll get a squirrel or a bird to ride along with me. Just please, please, PLEASE don't make me ride with Duchess Starina and her daughters!"  
  
Papa sighed. "Ask your mother."  
  
"Oh great," Katie muttered under her breath. "That's a flat out no." Papa laughed and they went inside.  
  
***  
  
Katie looked into the coach. It was lined with red velvet trimmed with green cord. There were two benches facing each other. Arena, Brenda, Papa, Mother, and Callista were facing the way they were going and Katie, Fayre, Gale, Loreen, and Duchess Starina were riding backwards.  
  
Katie ignored the girls' chat about the Prince of the kingdom and didn't care about her parents' conversation with Duchess Starina about how much longer the King would live. She stared out the window and listened to the horses.  
  
"Winnie," came a male horse voice that must've belonged to a white horse since Bolt's voice could be heard in the distance, "the dust on this road is positively ridiculous."  
  
"Agreed, Marray," said a very high, annoying, female voice. "The cobble-stoned roads are so much nicer!"  
  
"I don't think so," said another female voice. "I like these country roads better. Much more fresh air."  
  
"You don't know anything, Fairy," said Marray. "Which roads do you prefer, Sort?"  
  
"I like the city roads," came a very deep male voice.  
  
"Three to one," said Winnie. "You lose, Fairy."  
  
Katie lost interest in the white horses and listened to the birds gossiping about her family traveling with Lady Starina and daughters.  
  
There was a loud crash and a great jolt but the coach kept going. The birds were screaming in horror. "Stop!" screamed Katie. "Stop the coach!" After a minute, the drivers, one for the carriage and one for the coach, obliged and Katie rushed from the carriage, followed by Papa.  
  
Outside, about three yards back, lying in the track formed by the coach wheels, was a squirrel. Katie closed her eyes, listening, trying to make out words. But there were no words, which was strange for a squirrel, who was usually chattier than the birds. After a moment, Katie lifted the squirrel and placed him behind a tree. "Is he...?" asked Papa.  
  
Tears forming in her eyes, Katie nodded. She couldn't bear to see an animal die. Papa and Katie started heading back to the coach when they heard a girlish scream. They looked at each other and dashed back.  
  
"We didn't do anything!" screamed Loreen, tumbling out of the coach. "She just dropped with blood streaming from her head!"  
  
Katie, realizing what and whom Loreen must have been talking about, yanked at Fayre and Arena's hands because they were blocking the door, pulling them out. She threw herself into the carriage and saw Brenda, Callista, and Gale standing on the benches, bent over as to keep their heads from bumping the ceiling, their faces fixed in expressions of horror. Duchess Starina was tumbling out the door on the other side. And on the floor of the coach, lying in a small pool of blood, was Mother. Katie screamed and her father pulled her back so he could see. He broke into tears. "No!" they both screamed together. "This can't be happening!" "Papa!" "Katie!" "She can't be gone, she can't!"  
  
Katie thought saw a smug look on Duchess Starina's face before she disappeared behind the coach.  
  
END CHAPTER ONE  
  
So, what did you think? Good? Tell me in a review! Bad? Tell me in a review! (No flames though, please.) Thanks for reading! 


	2. Funerals and a Wedding

Wow, two chapters already! And it's the first and the second, too! Actually, I have the third written. I'll post that when I've finished the fourth. Remember to review!  
  
**NOTE: This chapter has been updated with spelling errors corrected and a few wordings changed. Thank you!**  
  
Chapter 2: Funerals and a Wedding  
  
Katie stared straight ahead. Duchess Starina took her hand and squeezed it, but Katie shook it off. She didn't want to be comforted, especially not by the woman who might have killed Mother.  
  
"Lady Margaret was a wonderful woman..." Blah, blah, blah. Katie was tired of hearing the priest drone on and on about Lady Margaret this, and Lady Margaret that. She had loved her mother, but she wanted to get away from these people before she couldn't hold the tears back anymore.  
  
Her blue eyes stung. She wanted to be away from here, at home with Brownie and Eloise and Bolt. She wanted to be out of the black satin dress she had borrowed from Callista.  
  
It had been an entire year since her mother's death. The year had been spent with the coroner and Duchess Starina in the house all the time -- the coroner examining Mother's body and Duchess Starina keeping house, as Katie and Papa were mourning too much to clean and cook. At last, the coroner announced that the cause of death was unpredictable and Papa arranged for the funeral.  
  
"...And we must always remember to remain faithful to the Garian flag, King Derek, Queen Louise, and Prince Kenneth." At last it was over and people went forward to place flowers on top of Mother's coffin, Mother's box. Katie fled and ran home, not daring to look back or stop when Papa called after her, saying he had something important to tell her.  
  
Katie couldn't get past the front porch. She fell to her knees on the steps and crossed her arms on the floor of the porch, put her head down, and sobbed. It had been just down the street where Mother had died, just a quarter mile, if that.  
  
At last, only because she couldn't stand the black satin anymore, Katie stood and changed to her brown dress. Duchess Starina had insisted she left her hair out, tumbling down her back. Katie didn't bother to plait it, as she was too tired. She went to the kitchen, spread a bit of precious butter on a slice of bread and began to eat.  
  
She had just finished and was wiping her crumbs from the table when Papa, Duchess Starina, and her daughters arrived. "Katie," Papa said gently, finding her in the kitchen. "Katie, I've something important to tell you."  
  
"Go away," she said, laying her head on the table. "I'm too tired for important news."  
  
"Darling, I--"  
  
"Papa, please."  
  
"Katie, I'm marrying Duchess Starina."  
  
"You're WHAT?" Katie was no longer tired. "You're going to marry that wicked woman? She killed my mother!" She clapped her hands over her mouth. Over a year and she had told no one about the smug look that she thought she had seen on Duchess Starina's face.  
  
"No, love, she didn't. Duchess Starina has admitted to falling in love with me since Margaret's death. And I've found that I have, too."  
  
"You've fallen in love with yourself?"  
  
"No, silly."  
  
Katie sighed and laid her head on the table. "I know. Papa, you don't understand."  
  
"Katie, you need a mother. A year without a mother is long enough, I don't want you waiting any longer!"  
  
"Papa, you couldn't choose a worse mother for me!"  
  
"Katie! I've made my decision! And nothing -- do you hear me? Nothing! -- you could say will ever change my mind." Papa stormed from the room. That was the first time Papa had ever raised his voice with Katie.  
  
Papa angry with her, borrowing dresses from Callista, Mother dead, Duchess Starina becoming her stepmother, going from an only child to having six stepsisters.  
  
Life was changing. Fast.  
  
*****  
  
Duchess Starina led the way into the dress shop. Katie did not want to be there, she would rather be with Papa, making invitations, talking to Brownie, anything but trying on gowns.  
  
"Ah, why, hello there." A short, pretty woman who couldn't have been much older than twenty stood behind a desk. "Welcome. Might I ask why you stop by today? Casual dresses? Wedding gowns? Capes and cloaks?"  
  
"Wedding gowns." Duchess Starina walked over to three gowns on dummies, each wearing a beautiful gown in a different style. The first was cream, the second green, the third a deep red. Duchess Starina turned on her heel and snapped at the short woman, "Where are they?"  
  
"Where are who?" asked the woman, smiling.  
  
"The wedding gowns!"  
  
"Oh, of course, of course! Those three behind you are the bride gowns, and the gowns for the bridesmaids are right over here." The woman gestured to a wall near the back covered with gowns of every style and color imaginable.  
  
"Thank you," snapped Duchess Starina, seizing Arena by the arm. "Arena, which dress do you like the best?" She made a long gesture towards the dummies in the wedding gowns.  
  
"Hmm," Arena said, pretending to be in deep thought. "The red, you should definitely go with the red."  
  
"If I may." Katie stepped in. She knew a thing or two about gowns, Mother had taught her fashion. "The red will look like the color has been drained from your skin." Duchess Starina turned and gaped at Katie, as though she had said the rudest thing in the world. "Not that your skin isn't beautiful, the pale is lovely. But don't choose too dark colors or it won't look nice. And the green could possibly do the same. I'd say go for the cream."  
  
"Never in all my days," began Duchess Starina, "have I ever, ever experienced such ridiculous -"  
  
"Actually," said the short woman, stepping in, "your daughter here is right."  
  
"She's not my daughter!" snapped Duchess Starina. "She will soon be my stepdaughter, yes, but she is not currently."  
  
"Well, that's beside the point. She is right, you will look best in cream."  
  
Duchess Starina sniffed but decided that she might as well go with it. "Arena and Brenda here," she said, pushing the girls forward, "are going to be the bridesmaids. I'm going to choose their dresses, understand?" She glared at Katie, who stepped back and nodded. She narrowed her eyes at the short woman who just smiled.  
  
Duchess Starina seized a ruby red silk gown and threw it at Arena and an emerald gown was selected for Brenda. Katie figured that was because she and the short woman both thought Duchess Starina shouldn't wear those colors -- and, because their coloring matched Duchess Starina's, Brenda and Arena shouldn't have either.  
  
Lavender gowns in different styles were chosen for Callista, Fayre, Gale, and Loreen. It was decided Katie would just wear her pink dress.  
  
After the gowns had been paid for, they left the shop to select and buy flowers. But as they were leaving the dress shop, a plump woman fell in front of them. She wore tatters and a black shawl over her hair. "Please, miss," she cried, grabbing the hem of Duchess Starina's skirt. "Please, do you have a job? I can clean, I can cook, I can wash and mend clothes, anything! Please, just give me a job!"  
  
Duchess Starina sniffed. "What is your name, woman?"  
  
"Carita, if it pleases you, miss."  
  
"Very well, Carita." Carita stood, her big, brown eyes hopeful. "I am to be married within the next half-year, yes, it has been six months since the engagement, and so it should be another six months. When my husband moves in with me, we'll need a cook. Would you like that, Carita?"  
  
"Oh yes, miss, I'd love to be your cook, miss!"  
  
"Very well. You may call me Mistress Starina. These are my daughters, Mistress Arena, Mistress Brenda, Mistress Callista, Mistress Fayre, Mistress Gale, and Mistress Loreen."  
  
"And I," said Katie, stepping forward, "will be her stepdaughter, Mistress Katie."  
  
"Whatever you say, Katherine," said Duchess Starina. "Oh, Katherine? Take Carita to the coach, will you, and wait there with her for us? We'll be along after we pick out the flowers and have them ordered to come a week before the wedding. Thanks, darling!"  
  
Katie rolled her eyes and led the plump woman to the coach.  
  
"Pardon my soon-to-be-stepmother," said Katie, "she's so rude. I don't want her to become my stepmother, but I don't have much choice or say in the matter."  
  
"Well, Mistress Katherine, I would be honored to have any of my family again."  
  
"I would give anything to have my mother again. Oh, and Carita? You can call me Katie."  
  
*****  
  
Flowers had been picked out -- Duchess Starina would carry a cascading bouquet of ivy, violets, and forget-me-nots. Arena and Brenda would carry smaller bouquets of lavender and marigold. The church was decorated with ivy, red roses, and white roses.  
  
Invitations had been sent.  
  
Food had been prepared.  
  
And the wedding had ended.  
  
Six months had gone by since Carita had been hired as a cook. The wedding was over and Katie and Papa were living in Duchess Starina's mansion in Shon. Actually, Katie was supposed to call her Mother Starina, but Katie decided that made her sound like a nun and Duchess Starina was definitely not a nun. Katie had decided that Starina would be fine.  
  
Katie was getting more and more suspicious about Starina -- she had hired Carita as a cook, but she was in the kitchen almost as much, "helping" Carita. Katie was careful about the food she ate, and she tried to warn Papa too, but he wouldn't listen. Ever since the funeral, ever since the betrothal, Papa had been acting very different... and Katie didn't like it.  
  
Katie's room was the smallest in the house. It barely had room for a small bed and very small dresser, let alone enough room for her. She changed standing on the low bed. She still only had three dresses and the pink and pale green were used only on special occasions. Soon, however, Starina had taken the pale green from her and given it to Callista.  
  
Finally, at dinner one day, they all sat down and began to eat. Starina was eating, but absentmindedly, as though she was more interested in something else. Papa cut three bites of meat and speared one with his fork. He was about to eat it when his face lit up like he remembered something. He put the fork down and said, "Daughters of mine and Starina, I must go to the fair in Jonda tomorrow. I will bring you each back something, so what would you like?"  
  
Arena, Brenda, Fayre, and Loreen each asked for a beautiful gown.  
  
Callista and Gail wanted ropes of emeralds and pearls and sapphires and rubies and diamonds.  
  
Katie wanted the satisfaction of having Papa home and alive and safe.  
  
"Surely there must be something else you want, Katie?"  
  
"No, Papa."  
  
"Very well. Starina?"  
  
"Nothing my dear, and don't try to convince me otherwise. Now eat up, you have a big day tomorrow!" Papa nodded and picked up his fork, which still had the piece of meat on the end. He bit into it, chewed, and swallowed.  
  
And fell over.  
  
Katie slammed her hand on the table and stood, glaring at Starina. "YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED MY PAPA!" She ran over to Papa and shook him. "Wake up, Papa, WAKE UP!" She turned and slapped Starina across the face. "I HATE YOU! YOU KILLED HIM!"  
  
"You have no proof!" snapped Starina. "I did not cook the food, Carita did! The assumption is Carita poisoned him!"  
  
"YOU'RE ALWAYS IN THE KITCHEN! YOU DID THAT SO WHEN YOU WENT IN THERE ONE TIME TO POISON HIM, IT WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING NEW TO HAVE YOU IN THERE! YOU KILLED HIM, YOU KILLED HIM!" Katie fled the table, the room, the house, the yard. She flung herself on the ground beside the dirt road a quarter mile from the house, the place where Mother had died. She lay there sobbing until the next morning when she woke and returned to the house.  
  
She went inside and found Starina, Arena, Brenda, Callista, and Fayre lounging on the sofas in the parlor.  
  
"You aren't even going to give him a funeral?"  
  
"You're an orphan now, Katie." Starina rose from the sofa. "An orphan. I could throw you out in the streets, let you beg for your food, let you die if you don't get it."  
  
"But you're my stepmother, you have to let me stay."  
  
"Not legally. However, if you promise to help Carita in the kitchen, start fires in the fireplaces, clean and mend clothes, carry water, and clean the house, I will let you stay."  
  
"Fine. I promise."  
  
"Very good." Sitting down, Starina added. "I'll allow you today off as your father died last night. You'll begin tomorrow."  
  
Katie fled to her room and cried. But after just a few minutes of crying she found she was out of tears and so she plaited her hair. When she was done, she found the pink silk dress and took it to Starina.  
  
"Here. Now that I'm an orphan and a servant, I won't need nice clothes anymore, will I?"  
  
"No. Keep it. If someone ever comes calling, you will still be seen as a servant, but you can't wear those brown tatters. You'll wear the pink dress. Now go to your room."  
  
Katie turned and stomped off.  
  
END CHAPTER TWO  
  
Well? Whatta ya do? That's right! Review! (Hey, maybe we should turn that into a song.?) 


	3. Four Years Later

Well, Chapter 3. Please review! And just so you know, the fourth chapter will not be added until I have 5 reviews. Also, when you review, if you have any suggestions for a new title, they're very welcome! Thanks!  
  
**NOTE: This chapter has been updated with spelling errors corrected and some wordings changed. Thank you!**  
  
Chapter 3: Four Years Later  
  
Katie sat up and yawned. Four years ago her father had died and now she was sixteen. Her tattered dress had been let down as she grew taller - only to get tattered again. Her pink dress was longer. She hurriedly dressed and plaited her hair, covered the top with a green rag, and went down to start the fires.  
  
She shivered in the nippy winter air; her feet were still bare so they were practically frozen from the cold floor. She started the fire in the parlor, then tiptoed into the kitchen to find Carita had started the fire in there. She nodded gratefully to Carita, who was sitting in a chair at the kitchen table, and started up the stairs to the bedrooms given to Starina and the stepsisters. She started in Loreen's room - she drew back the curtains, set out a dress, and started the fire.  
  
"Loreen," she whispered, shaking her. "Loreen, it's time to wake up." She jumped back as Loreen's fist shot up in the air as it did every morning. "Loreen, wake up, you have to get dressed. Loreen!"  
  
Loreen sat straight up. "I didn't do it, I didn't eat the last cookie, I promise I didn't."  
  
Smiling and helping Loreen out of bed, Katie replied, "So it was you. Stand on the stool." Loreen did so and Katie helped her out of her nightgown and into the yellow dress. She fastened the black buttons that ran all the way down the back and straightened the big black collar. "Down." Loreen stepped off the stool and Katie stepped up. "How d'you want your hair today?"  
  
"Can you put it in a twist?"  
  
"Sure, why not?"  
  
Loreen was the kindest of the stepsisters, though she could be rather obnoxious at times. Katie gathered Loreen's ebony hair and piled it on her head. Then she twisted it into a knot on the top. "Look in the mirror." Loreen did so in the full-length mirror that hung on the wall, nodded her approval, and watched Katie leave the room through the mirror.  
  
"Gale, rise and shine." Gale sat up straight, and then fell back down into her pillow - but she missed the pillow and hit her head on the backboard instead.  
  
"Ow!" With much difficulty and a few arguments, Katie managed to get Gale into the gray-blue dress and she pulled her long, black curls into a bun at the nape of her neck.  
  
Katie went on to each of the girls, drawing curtains, starting fires, and helping them dress. Each girl wanted her hair up or down in a different style, each wore a different colored dress. When she got to Starina, whom she called Mistress now, she didn't help her change and dress her hair, for she had a fever. "Katherine, fetch breakfast!" she snapped from her bed.  
  
"Carita hasn't even finished-"  
  
"Katherine!" Starina's voice was warning.  
  
"Yes, Mistress." Katie dashed down the steps, her braid whipping at the walls and her face. "Carita, is breakfast ready?"  
  
"I've just finished cooking it, Katie, it needs a moment to cool."  
  
"It doesn't have time to cool, I have to get it up there! Help me load the trays!" They poured coffee into two mugs and placed them each on a tray, placed two links of sausage, a scrambled egg, and a blueberry muffin on each plate on the two trays and Katie hurried up the stairs as fast as she could while balancing a tray in each hand.  
  
She pushed her way through Loreen's door and placed the tray on Loreen's desk. "Breakfast time," she said, leaving. Loreen bounced up from her spot on the floor, leaving her china dolls behind, and began to eat.  
  
She placed the second tray in Gale's room and dashed down the stairs again. There, four more trays had been set up. Carita and Katie each taking two, they hurried up the stairs. Carita took her trays to Fayre and Callista and Katie took hers to Brenda and Arena. Dashing downstairs, they made one more tray and Katie took it up to Starina. "So sorry it took so long, Mistress, I had to get the trays to Loreen and Gale and Fayre and-"  
  
"That's Mistress Loreen and Mistress Gale and Mistress Fayre."  
  
"They're my stepsisters and I will call them by name-"  
  
"They are your Mistresses! For your behavior, Katherine, you will scrub the floors."  
  
"I do that every day anyway," Katie muttered under her breath.  
  
"Twice, then, once now and once before you go to bed. After that, every window is to be cleaned and then you'll let down that purple velvet dress of Loreen's. Oh, and you'll have to write a letter to the King for me today. Now, go and start."  
  
Rolling her eyes, Katie started for the door.  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" The scream was high pitched and grew louder until Gale burst threw the door. "My tongue is burnt!" But, since Gale's tongue was hanging out of her mouth, it sounded more like, "Nly thung ith buhned!"  
  
"KATHERINE, what did you do NOW?"  
  
"You wanted me to get the breakfast out right away and so the food didn't have time to cool."  
  
"Well, for that, you'll have to clean the girls' rooms, too."  
  
"Yes, Mistress." Katie left before any more trouble rose.  
  
Katie found the bucket and filled it with warm water and a new sort of foamy soap Starina had bought. She grabbed a rag and went up to the upstairs hall. Starting at the end near Starina's door, she dunked her hang, holding the rag, into the bucket - and yelped in pain. She pulled out her hand to find her knuckles swelling and bleeding and stinging. But she started scrubbing anyway. The hall seemed to stretch on longer than it usually did, just because of the sting in her hands. She got the soap in her eye and her eye stung so much she had to wait several minutes before she could start again.  
  
The worst part of it was the thought of doing it again before bed.  
  
After the windows were sparkling clean, it was time to make the midday meal with Carita. Vegetable stew and bread was what they ate and after that, upon clearing the china dolls and clothes and other various toys from Loreen's room, Katie called the eleven-year-old to her room and had her change into the pink gown so Katie could let down the skirt.  
  
After the skirt was let down, Katie spent a half hour per room picking up nightgowns and dresses and blouses and skirts and hairbrushes and cleaning mirrors and picking up china dolls from Gale and Loreen's rooms.  
  
"Mistress, the hall has been scrubbed once and the windows are clean. I've picked up in the young Mistresses' bedrooms and let down Mistress Loreen's pink dress. Would you like me to write the letter to the King now?"  
  
"Yes, Katherine." Katie sat at the desk and took a clean sheet of parchment. She dipped the quill in the inkpot and wrote the date in the top right corner. Then she held it positioned over the parchment, waiting for Starina to begin. For the next minute or so, the only noises were the scratching of the quill on the parchment and Starina's voice.  
  
"Dear King Derek Edward Alexander Ryan, I, Duchess Starina Teresa Elisa Priscilla, will be coming to visit you, your Queen, Queen Louise Ingrid Vevila Eleanor, and your son, Prince Kenneth Alexander Terrence Edward. I will be coming with all seven of my daughters, Arena, Brenda, Callista-"  
  
"'Scuse me, Mistress."  
  
"What is it, Katherine?"  
  
"Did you say all seven of your daughters?"  
  
"Indeed I did."  
  
Katie shivered and continued writing.  
  
"- Callista, Fayre, Gale, Loreen, and Katherine. We will be coming a week after the date you send a reply. We will be staying for four days. Thank you kindly, Duchess Starina Teresa Elisa Priscilla. Now, Katie, read it to me."  
  
"Yes, ma'am.  
"Dear King Derek Edward Alexander Ryan,  
"I, Duchess Starina Teresa Elisa Priscilla,  
will be coming to visit you, your Queen, Queen  
Louise Ingrid Vevila Eleanor, and your son, Prince  
Kenneth Alexander Terrence Edward. I will be  
coming with all seven of my daughters, Arena,  
Brenda, Callista, Fayre, Gale, Loreen, and  
Katherine. We will be coming a week after the  
date you send a reply. We will be staying for  
four days.  
"Thank you kindly,  
"Duchess Starina Teresa Elisa Priscilla."  
  
"That's very good. Put this in the mail."  
"Yes, Mistress."  
Katie shut the door and found Carita standing outside, having listened to it all. They took each other's hands and jumped up and down, one old and fat, one young and slim, both squealing with glee.  
  
END CHAPTER THREE  
  
Like I've said, please, please, please, please review! The fourth chapter won't be added until I have at least 5 reviews! Don't forget to suggest new titles, too! Thanks! 


	4. The Palace

Well, I've only had two reviewers. But I'm going to update anyway, because my reviewers both begged for a new chapter. ( Thanks you two! Review again! And to the newcomers. review please!  
  
Chapter 4: The Palace  
  
Katie sat beside the driver in her pink dress, gazing up. They passed by the white marble walls, through the black iron gates. Inside was a large circling driveway with a round patch of grass in the center. A large, marble fountain mostly covered the grass. The black coach rolled up to the grand palace doors. The gate was lifted and the thick wooden doors swung open. As Katie and the driver jumped down from their seats, three handsome men clad in black and red escorted Starina, Arena, and Brenda from the coach. Callista, Fayre, Gale, Loreen, and Katie trailed behind them.  
  
Inside the palace, servants, all dressed in black and red, were bustling about. Maids carrying cleaned linen and chamber pots and various objects made from silver and gold and iron ran this way and that. The three men nodded to and left Starina, Arena, and Brenda as a slightly plump woman with graying red hair peeking from beneath a white mob cap hurried up to them.  
  
"Your name, miss?" asked the woman to Starina in a high voice.  
  
"Duchess Starina of Shon," stated the duchess.  
  
"Right this way, milady," said the woman, turning and leading the group to a small room. The room was decorated in black, gold, and red and three large thrones hid the far wall.  
  
Upon the first throne sat King Derek. The second throne held Queen Louise. And Prince Kenneth was perched upon the third throne.  
  
The King broke into a handsome smile and stood up. "Welcome, Duchess Starina, welcome to the Palace of Garia! I am, of course, King Derek and this is my wife and Queen, Louise." Queen Louise, with wavy red hair that settled nicely on her shoulders, and piercing gray eyes, stood and nodded. "And my son, Prince Kenneth." The Prince rose. His hair was wavy like his mother's, but rich brown like his father's. His eyes were gray like the Queen's, but soft like the King's. "Feel free to explore the palace," the King said. "And remember the number one rule; have fun!" The King held up his arm and escorted the Queen from the room. The Prince followed.  
  
Katie took off from the room just as Starina was about to open her mouth to speak to the girls. She wasn't listening to Starina's lectures today or tomorrow or the two days after that. It was four days all to herself.  
  
Katie wandered about the whitewashed walls of the palace. The doors were all around ten feet tall and made of thick, dark, stained wood with elegant gold handles and matching frames. Carved into every left-hand door was the name of the room, such as "Ballroom," "Queen's Bedroom," and "Dining Room."  
  
The Great Hall was Katie's first stop - and it was named appropriately. The tall room was the entrance to the palace. The front had five huge marble steps, leading up to carved wooden doors taller than any others. These doors had handles and frames of silver and little bits of gold carved in with the fancy wood. The floor in the Hall was made of big square marble slabs, in a black-and-white-checkerboard pattern. When you entered the Hall, you faced a great staircase - known as just that, the Great Staircase - with railings made of white marble. Katie assumed the steps were of white marble, too, but the steps were mostly hidden by a great red carpet.  
  
From the hall were two halls, one to the left, one to the right. Under the hallway that could be seen from the top of the Great Staircase was one door to the left-hand side of the stairs and one to the right. Katie chose the right-hand hall and started down it, but soon discovered it held servants' quarters. She snuck a glance into one of the rooms and saw they were furnished much better than her room. There were three grand wardrobes and three sets of bunks. From the nightshirts thrown on top of the bunks and the pair of pants dropped on the floor, Katie guessed it was a teenage boys' room and quickly shut the door. Down the hall she found a teenage girls' room, which was furnished exactly the same. She took a risk and stepped inside the girls' room and opened one of the wardrobes. Inside the wardrobe door was a mirror and hanging on the rod were around eight dresses. Assuming two girls shared a wardrobe and the girls were all wearing a dress, they each had five dresses. Much better than me, Katie thought. I only get one, not including this pink one.  
  
Upon emerging from the servants' quarters, Katie marched straight across the Hall and found various places - the breakfast room, with a wall full of windows facing east, and colored with pale pinks and greens and yellows. The lunchroom, with regular windows also facing east, and decorated with blues and purples, was found next to the breakfast room. And the supper room, done up in red, black, white, and gold - of course - was located across from the dining room. Also found in the hall was the kitchen, a huge place with cupboards and tables and ovens, all painted white and all the cooks, most women, but a few were men, were dressed in big white dresses and white aprons and white hats covering their hair - although, a few had some red curls or black waves sticking out here and there. And one thing Katie noticed was none of them were especially thin. The place was full of smoky air (which Katie assumed was flour) and bread being tossed from person to person and the sounds of people shouting and chattering away and the smells of baked goods and stews and soups - Katie slipped in and back out with no one noticing. There were a few other rooms down the hall, but Katie failed to recognize their purpose.  
  
After that hall, Katie took the door to the right-hand side of the Stairs. Inside this door was a ballroom three stories tall. The floor was gold marble with red and black veins and one of the walls was curved and made of many panes of glass, showing off the garden outside.  
  
"'Scuse me, miss," said a maid, hurrying in with a rag and a bucket full of soap and water. She couldn't have been much older than twelve. "I just have to clean these windows." She set down the rag and bucket by a window and dragged a ladder out, which had been leaning against a wall, unnoticed by Katie. "You can stay if you'd like, miss."  
  
"That's all right," Katie said, starting towards the door. "I know what its like, and I know you don't really want to be watched. Thanks anyway." Katie smiled at the girl, who gave a thankful smiled back. Katie started to leave, but was stopped by the young girl's voice.  
  
"Miss? If you'd like to see where the balls are normally held, it's in the middle of the gardens. This place is only used for private balls consisting only of the royal family and their relations, like birthday balls and Christmas balls."  
  
"Thank you," Katie said, smiling a wider smile. This place sounded interesting and she would visit it right after the place on the other side of the Staircase.  
  
Which was a museum full of strange objects Kings and knights and Princes had brought back from quests. An apple was first. It was sliced in two, one half white, one half red. Each half had a bite taken from it. The gold plaque read, "Queen Snow-white's apple, poisoned by Queen Dahlia." That must have been over a hundred years ago! Katie went on to the next object, a red cloak. "Queen Red's cloak. Queen Red married King Forest when he saved her from the belly of a wolf." On and on it went, with things such as a bean of King Jack's, hair from Queen Rapunzel, and the necklace and ring Queen Marigold had traded to the troll Rumpelstiltskin.  
  
But the last object was the one that fascinated Katie the most - a small ball made from red marble with a gold griffin's claw clamped around it. The ball had black veins and the plaque read, "Found by our first King, Draco. Gave our kingdom its colors."  
  
Katie left through the back door of the museum and found herself in the gardens. Following the signs made of gold with carved letters, she found her way to the place normally used for balls. It was surrounded by bushes and was on a platform three steps above the ground. She walked up the steps and looked around. The platform was made of great gray stones. Over here was a grassy area between the dance floor and the bushes, which Katie presumed the orchestra pit. It was lovely, with ivy growing along the six inch wall all the way around the floor and big, stone pots holding bushes shaped as different animals in each of the four corners.  
  
A brown mouse scurried across the floor, chased by three others. The three were faster than the one and they ran over him, beating him to the pot with the giraffe-shaped bush. Katie ran over and picked up the mouse. "Are you hurt?" she asked it.  
  
"There's something wrong with my leg," the mouse squeaked. He was a boy and sounded young. "But find Lizzia. This has happened before and she knows what to do. Lizzia is a lizard, by the way."  
  
Katie nodded and turned. Speaking in lizard tongue, she cried, "Lizzia! Lizzia are you nearby? There'sss a brown moussse here who needsss your help! Lizza?"  
  
"What'sss the brown moussse'sss name?" Came a reply as a large, green lizard crawled up the ivy and onto the platform.  
  
Katie switched to the mouse language and asked the mouse his name. "Rolly," he moaned in reply.  
  
"Rolly," hissed Katie. "Hisss name isss Rolly!"  
  
"Ah, I will help." The lizard half-slithered, half-walked over to where Katie had set Rolly down and did something to his leg. "There, Rolly, isss that better?"  
  
"Yes, thank you, Lizzia."  
  
"Did Frank or Tubby or Rattail do thisss to you?"  
  
"All three," was Rolly's reply.  
  
The three brown mice came scurrying out of the potted giraffe. At first they were all the same - then Katie saw the differences. Frank was thinner, Rolly was fatter, Tubby had a darker brown spot on his back, and Rattail's tail was pink.  
  
"Sorry, Rolly, we just wanted to beat you," said Tubby.  
  
"It's fine," said Rolly, getting up.  
  
"No, it'sss not! Never do that again!" hissed the lizard.  
  
"We wouldn't if we had an owner!" Rattail argued.  
  
"Ah, all of us in the animal kingdom wisssh for an owner."  
  
"I'll be your owner!" cried Katie. "You can live with me!"  
  
Rattail and Lizzia exchanged a look, but then nodded. "All right," said Frank. "We'll come with you."  
  
"I don't have my bedchamber yet, otherwise I'd say meet me there tonight. how about I meet you outside the kitchen after dinner?"  
  
"Sssoundsss good."  
  
"We'll be there!" said Rolly, smiling. The four mice, squeaking and chatting about the thought of having an owner, scurried away and Lizzia crawled off in the opposite direction. Katie smiled, watching them go. Turning around, she was startled to find a man of about thirty watching her.  
  
"Ya talk t' animals, d'ya?"  
  
Nervously standing in the man's stare, Katie nodded. "Y-yes sir."  
  
"Would ya like a job, 'ere at da palace? I've got a boy 'elpin' the 'orses, an' a gal fer da cats. 'Ow 'bout walkin' a' feedin' da dogs?"  
  
Anything, anything at all, to be away from her stepmother! "Yes sir! I would love a job here!"  
  
"M'name's Jordan, but ya can call m' Jordie. An' I'm da Keepeh of da Animals."  
  
"All right, Jordie. When do I start?"  
  
"Yer here with dat duchess, aren'tcha? 'Ow bout ya jus' stay when she leaves a' ya start den?"  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
  
  
After dinner, when Katie had found the lizard and mice, Katie had been taken to her bedchamber. Now, the four mice had taken one of the many, many pillows from the bed and fluffed it into a giant nest for them to sleep in. Lizzia had dragged a rug under the nightstand beside the bed and had curled up under it. All five animals were sleeping soundly.  
  
Katie examined the bedchamber. Her room with her mother and father hadn't been this grand, and of course, neither was her room with Starina. There was a huge canopy bed and a large wardrobe and rugs on the floor and an empty bookshelf and a large window with floor-length, gauzy curtains. If you crawled out the window, you would find yourself on a small balcony.  
  
Katie peeked into the wardrobe. Empty. Not even a mirror. Except there was one thing, hanging on the rod - clean, white linen nightgown. Katie pulled it out and found it trimmed with pale blue ribbons. She changed into the nightgown and left the door open a crack, in case one of the mice or Lizzia needed to leave the room for something.  
  
Katie carefully unlocked the window and opened it. A light breeze blew the curtains and Katie's hair. The sky was dark, streaked with pink and orange from the disappearing sunset. She stepped over the windowsill and stood on the balcony. It was small but railed and Katie felt like she was flying.  
  
Then from the shadows below stepped a figure. From the little light from the moon, Katie could see it was a woman and she was dressed in purple. Katie ducked and half-hid herself behind the railing.  
  
"Don't hide, I won't kill you," laughed the woman. Katie stood cautiously and stared at the woman. Her voice sounded not much older than Katie herself. "I suppose you're here with Duchess Starina? I'm Lady Jane, cousin to the Prince. What's your name?"  
  
"Katherine," Katie whispered, "but call me Katie. And aren't you talking a little loud for this late at night?"  
  
"Yes, I suppose I am," said Lady Jane, lowering her voice. "Oh, by the way, call me Janie."  
  
"Whatever you say, as long as you're royalty." Janie giggled. "Excuse me, Janie, but I really must go. I have five pets in here to tend to."  
  
"Ah, I see. Well, good-night then."  
  
"Good-night."  
  
Janie's figure disappeared and Katie stepped back inside her room.  
  
Five new pets, two new friends, and a new job. Life, again, was changing fast.  
  
END CHAPTER FOUR  
  
Now its time for Zoom Reviews: Katie the Beautiful. Sorry, you'll only understand that if you watch the TV show "ZOOM." Well, anyway, review please!! No flames! 


	5. Alisa and the Prince

Chapter 5. not much to say.  
  
Shards of EvenSong. Yes, the King is high and yes, I wanted him to be a somewhat comical character. sort of like the Rodgers and Hammerstein version of Cinderella.  
  
Also, if anyone who read this happens to know how to change it so I can receive anonymous reviews, please tell me! It will be most appreciated!  
  
Chapter 5: Alisa and the Prince  
  
They were gone.  
  
Katie watched gleefully as Starina's coach vanished. She had sat on her perch with the driver as she was supposed to - but this time, she wore a big, floppy, straw hat since she was rather brown from sitting in the sun the whole way here. And ladies weren't supposed to be brown, they were supposed to be very, very, very pale. But Katie liked her tan.  
  
When Starina and her daughters had piled into the coach. Katie murmured something about forgetting something and jumped from the coach as the driver snapped the whips and the white horses started prancing. Katie rolled out of the way of the wheels and watched the coach go.  
  
She was a palace servant now, to be treated rightfully and not as a slave.  
  
She was given a bunk with the teenage girls, since the room was missing a person. She was given five dresses - each had a red blouse, a white skirt, and a black apron. She tied her hair back with a red ribbon and dashed off to the gardens, where she let the four mice and Lizzia go free. That was their routine - each morning, she took them out to the garden and let them go. They spent the day doing as they chose, as long as they didn't get in trouble. At the end of the day, they showed up back in Katie's room with the other girls and slept there.  
  
All five of the other girls were stuffy and annoying. There was Teresa, a girl of thirteen with blond curls and hazel eyes who was constantly whining and worrying. And there was Mary, eleven years old, a little chubby, and short, dark brown curls and weird eyes. She shouldn't have been in that room, but there were extra bunks in that room and not enough in the room she should have been in.  
  
Then there was Petra, a tough, fourteen-year-old girl with freckles who was always threatening to beat someone up, particularly Mary. But Darleen and Jessica told Katie Petra wouldn't hurt a fly.  
  
Darleen and Jessica were the oldest girls at seventeen. Darleen was the biggest and Jessica the quietest.  
  
The dogs Katie walked had personalities that matched that of the girls in Katie's room. But most of the dogs were named appropriately.  
  
There was Q.T., a small cocker spaniel who was frightened of everything - Mary.  
  
And Pirfict, a poodle who had to have everything perfect - Teresa.  
  
And Gruffy, a big bulldog who seemed to constantly try to step on Q.T. - Petra.  
  
And Larshie, an even bigger German Shepherd dog who always watched where she stepped - Darleen.  
  
And, finally, Kylie, a small dog who was shy to everyone except her owner, Lady Sandra, a cousin to the King - Jessica.  
  
One day, while walking the five dogs belonging to various relations to the King and Queen, Katie came upon a young woman with sandy hair. She was clad in green and as she turned around, she looked surprised at Katie. "From seeing you up there, I didn't think you would be a servant here."  
  
"What?" Katie had no idea what the girl was talking about.  
  
"You're Katie, right?" Katie nodded suspiciously. "Well, I'm Janie! It's so good to see you in daylight!"  
  
Remembering the girl seen from the balcony, Katie smiled. "You too! Oh, and I wasn't a servant at the time. I was only recently hired."  
  
"Oh, you're the girl Jordie hired?"  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"Jordie is my third cousin twice removed through marriage. He's not considered part of the royal family, but since I'm a daughter of the King's brother, I am."  
  
"So you're Prince Kenneth's cousin?"  
  
"Right."  
  
They walked in silence for a while, the gardens passing by them. The blooms were pale pinks and oranges and yellows. Every once in a while, they came to a dried-up, dead garden. Katie looked at Janie. "Why are some of these gardens untended?"  
  
"They belonged to the deceased," Janie said simply. "When a person with their own garden dies, so does their garden because people want everything that belonged to that person to be peaceful and untouched. I think it's ridiculous, but Uncle Derek and Aunt Louise made me leave my mother and father's gardens alone. Ah, here they are, side by side, just like their graves." Janie stepped into the one that had lesser green than the other. "This one was Mother's. Ugh, I can't stand how awful it looks." She looked up at Katie. "Do you like to garden?"  
  
Katie shrugged. "I don't know how, but I'm sure I could learn."  
  
"Want to take care of my mother's garden for me? I hate it like this."  
  
"Absolutely! I'd love to have something to do besides walk through the gardens holding five leashes, and eating, and sleeping.  
  
"That's the life most royal women have," laughed Janie. "But we don't normally get to walk through the gardens."  
  
"Sounds. boring."  
  
After bidding Janie farewell, and returning the dogs to their owners, Katie hurried back to the garden. She sighed, looking around. Dead ivy was falling off the wall and dead plants were sticking up here and there - but they were mostly crushed, lying on the ground. She sighed again and bent down to start. She started pulling the plants up, with the roots so she wouldn't have to go back through and do that later.  
  
After her back was sore from bending over and clearing out half the garden, Katie stood and peeled the ivy from the wall. It was actually somewhat fun to do, pulling at it and having a whole strand fall down on her. Soon the ivy was gone and she rolled her eyes as she bent down to start clearing the ground again.  
  
"Need some help?"  
  
Katie looked up in surprise. A girl in her mid-twenties was sitting on top of the wall. She had flowing blond hair, which was sparkling with a purple tint, and violet eyes. She was around three feet tall and her most surprising feature was the pair of purple butterfly wings perched on her back.  
  
"W-who. w-what.?"  
  
"I'm Alisa, your fairy godmother."  
  
"M-my fairy godm-mother?"  
  
"That's right! Want some help with your garden?" Not knowing what to say, Katie nodded furiously. With a swoop of a long, white wand, the entire garden was cleared out. "Now, what kind of plants do you want? No, wait! I've always wanted to do this." The fairy closed her eyes tightly and crossed all the fingers on her hands. Finally, her eyes popped open and she cried, "You want roses, and lilies, and daisies, and ivy! And I have a few more things you'll love!" She threw spells this way and that, each a different color. The roses grew and bloom from the red spell, lilies from the white, daisies from the yellow, ivy from the green.  
  
Alisa jumped from the wall and hovered above the ground, her height level with Katie's. "Now, for my surprises." She smiled and made an ash tree grow up in a corner. Katie grinned.  
  
"Thank you so much for your help!"  
  
"There's more." Next, a great pumpkin patch with pumpkins half as tall as Katie grew.  
  
"Pumpkins! Mother loved pumpkins."  
  
"Yes. And these flowers are of my own creation. I think you'll like them." She pointed at the wall next to the ash tree and ivy began climbing up it - but instead of ivy leaves, there were strange, flame-shaped blooms, colored in reds, oranges, and yellows. "They're called fire-blooms."  
  
"They're wonderful! Thank you so, so, so much Alisa!"  
  
"You're welcome, Katie. You needed it from all your hard work at Starina's house."  
  
They exchanged a smile before Alisa floated up and disappeared.  
  
That's one more new friend!  
  
  
  
Katie loved the ash tree and fire-blooms. Every day, after walking the dogs, she would sit under the shade of the tree and tuck fire-blooms into her hair, or make chains from them, or a bouquet for Janie or Alisa. Soon, from ashes and fire, she had earned her nickname - Cinderella.  
  
The ash tree was also the new favorite spot for Lizzia and Rolly and Tubby and Frank and Rattail. Katie had also made another new friend, a small white cat named Tommy. The cat and the mice got along fine, thank goodness. But Tommy and Lizzia got on great.  
  
But one day, as Katie sat in the shade with Lizzia on her head ("It's the only good place in the whole garden, the sun coming between the trees just right. unfortunately, your head is in the way.") and Tommy curled up in her lap, sleeping, a voice startled her, knocking Lizza from her head.  
  
"Do you enjoy having strange lizards sit on your head?"  
  
Katie carefully took Tommy off her lap and placed him between two roots. She stepped out from beneath the tree to see who the owner of the voice was - and dropped into a deep curtsy for the Prince. "Your Majesty! No, I don't. I speak to animals, Your Majesty, and this lizard is my friend. she asked me if she might sit on my head, since that was the only good place in the garden for light."  
  
The Prince gave a short, arrogant laugh. "To be sure." He looked around and then his brow furrowed. "This isn't your garden. this garden is supposed to be my aunt's! Why is it grown, not dead?"  
  
"Janie - Lady Jane gave it to me to tend to."  
  
"Gardening is but peasants' work!"  
  
"Not always, Your Majesty."  
  
"Gardening is work, and work is what peasants do."  
  
"But why, Your Majesty?"  
  
"Because that's what they deserve! They aren't good enough to be middle-class, let alone nobility or royalty! They deserve nothing but work, hard crusts of bread, and every once in a while a drink of water!"  
  
"That is not true!" The Prince raised her eyes and her loud voice. ".Your Majesty."  
  
"How is it not true, girl?"  
  
"Peasants work hard all day! They barely get an hour of sleep on their hard cots at night! They eat very little, and what they get is stale cheese and bread. They drink very little, and when they do get something to water their mouths, that's just that - water! And they still work very hard! You and the royal family and the nobles, on the other hand, get twelve to fourteen hours of sleep every night on fluffy, feather mattresses, eat huge banquets of meat and bread and vegetables and fruit and dessert, drink wine all day, and then sit around on your royal butts! I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but in my opinion, peasants sure do deserve a whole lot more than you do!"  
  
The Prince rolled his eyes.  
  
"Do NOT mock me, Majesty, and do NOT roll your eyes!"  
  
Instead, the Prince turned on his heel and marched off with a "Humph!"  
  
Katie sat down in the grass beneath the ash tree, yanked some fire- blooms off their vines and started knotting them into chains. "Stupid, arrogant, stuck-up, ridiculous prince!"  
  
END CHAPTER 5  
  
Review, please. Also, if you have any more suggestions on how to make Alisa (the fairy godmother) more real and believable and not so happy and cheesy, I'd really like them! Thanks! 


	6. Conversations

Chapter 6. its late, I'm too tired to type any more up here, except enjoy.  
  
Hey, EvenSong said I could make this better, so I think I did. tell me what you think! :-) Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 6: Conversations  
  
"He's quite taken with you, you know." Janie smiled at Katie.  
  
Katie raised her eyebrows. "Who?"  
  
"My cousin, of course!" Janie laughed.  
  
Katie stood, her face in an expression that said she thought Janie was out of her mind. "That's ridiculous! I lectured him! He rolled his eyes and huffed at me! He - "  
  
"Katie." Katie glared. "That doesn't matter. He was taken with your appearance and the way you could stand up to royalty."  
  
"Janie." Katie put her hands on Janie's shoulders and looked at her seriously. "You're nuts."  
  
Janie laughed again. "No Katie, I'm serious!"  
  
"Janie, no. He's too stupid and arrogant." Janie opened her mouth to protest, but Katie turned and left the room, heading towards her garden. Janie was crazy; the Prince couldn't be taken with her. He was too. too! Besides, even if he was taken with her, he was taken with her appearance - that just goes to show he didn't look within, just out.  
  
She came to the gardens and ran through them, ignoring the hellos shouted by fellow servants. Her skirt and hair looked like ribbons she was running so fast. So fast she didn't have time to stop when a man stepped out in front of her. She ran right into him. "Oh, dear, I'm terribly sorry, I was-" She stepped back and realized she had run into the Prince. "Oh, it's you, Majesty. Then that's all right." Nevertheless, she curtsied - rolling her eyes as she did so. She made her way around him but he grabbed her hand to stop her.  
  
"Wait!" Katie resisted the urge to struggle out of his soft, warm grasp and listened impatiently. No! Katie mustn't think such thoughts. "Would you walk with me?" She looked into his gray eyes and upon seeing the expression in them, thought, My goodness, Janie's right. She nodded warily and he let go of her hand. Wanting to dashing away, but not doing so, Katie walked through the gardens by the Prince's side. Both were silent.  
  
Beautiful gardens went by and tall topiaries and stone figures. Finally, Katie turned to him and asked, "What do you want?"  
  
He looked confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You wanted me to walk with you, so surely there's a reason."  
  
The Prince hesitated and Katie could tell he was trying to make up a good excuse. "Well, I remember you coming with Duchess Starina - you were the girl called Katherine - which means you're the daughter of a duchess. So how do you know so much about peasants?" Katie knew it was a lie, so she lied back.  
  
"My best friend - name of. uh. Vicky - is a peasant. She told me all about it and took me to town and let me live the life of a peasant for a day."  
  
"Oh." The Prince looked as though he didn't know what to say about this. He shook his head a little, as though to clear something from his thoughts, and walked on.  
  
Katie hurried to catch up. "Is something wrong?"  
  
The Prince looked up, shaking his head, but with a confused expression still on his face. "Uh, no. No, of course not."  
  
Silence. Katie never hated silence more.  
  
They arrived at Katie's garden. The Prince looked around, noting the pumpkins. "Those pumpkins are enormous."  
  
Katie chuckled. "My fairy godmother grew them."  
  
The Prince hid a laugh. "Ah, of course."  
  
"You think I'm crazy, don't you?" Katie crossed her arms and glared at him.  
  
"No, no! Of course not!" He sighed. "I used to love pumpkin pie, up until I was six. Now I think it's disgusting. I much prefer apple. What about you, what's your favorite kind of pie?"  
  
"Well, we used to have pumpkin pie occasionally. My mother loved it. But after she died, I never had it any more. I could smell Carita, our cook, making pies in the kitchen and they smelled delicious. But my stepmother allowed me only peas and lentils and bread to eat-occasionally, though, Carita would slip me a bowl of stew."  
  
"Your mother died? But I thought Duchess Starina -"  
  
An embarrassed laugh escaped from Katie's lips. "Did I say my mother died? I meant my father."  
  
"Oh, I see." The Prince's face softened. "I'm so sorry."  
  
"Mistre-Mother wouldn't let me have pie anyway."  
  
"Your mother didn't allow you to have pie? What about cake? People can't survive without cake!" The Prince looked horrified at the very idea.  
  
Katie cocked her head and smiled at his ignorance. "You know nothing of the real world, Majesty. I can't imagine how little you know of peasants."  
  
"Well then, how can you teach me?"  
  
"The only way to know how peasants live, Majesty," Katie said, ducking under the ash tree and picking up Sammy to stroke him, "is to live like them." Upon seeing the Prince's confused face, her smile broadening. "Meet me here tomorrow at dawn. And don't eat anything before you come. We're going into the city to live like peasants. Just like Vikki and I did."  
  
END CHAPTER SIX  
  
Short, I know. Sorry. But it was a little bit I needed to happen. this might end up merging with the seventh chapter, if the seventh isn't too long. Until the seventh! 


	7. Peasants for a Day

Hey all! I feel like I haven't updated in forever but I know I update much more frequently then others. I'm going to make my request again: if you know how I might change it so I can accept anonymous reviews, I would much appreciate your sharing it with me! LOL! Thanks!  
  
Chapter 7: Peasants for a Day  
  
Katie glanced at the Prince and burst into laughter. "What?" he asked. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing, nothing." The Prince raised his eyebrows. "Well, do you really expect to pass off as a peasant wearing THAT?"  
  
The Prince looked down at his clothes. "These are the plainest clothes I have!" He wore a loose, lavender silk shirt, tight black pants, boots, and a strange cape. "And you! Everyone in the royal city will recognize the royal servants' attire!"  
  
"Come with me." After a short stop at Katie's room, where she changed into her old brown rags, Katie led the Prince to a room she had found on the third floor, full of old clothes, from peasants to middle-class to nobility to royalty. Katie left the room while he changed into the peasants' attire she had for him - breeches, old boots, a smock, vest, and hat, all too big for him. He had to use a braided rope as a belt to keep the pants on.  
  
"Now," Katie said once they were dressed and headed for the city, "we need names. You can't be known as Your Majesty, Prince Kenneth. And even though no one will know me, I probably shouldn't be known as Katie. You shall be. Timothy. And I'll be Maggie."  
  
"Timothy? Maggie?" The Prince raised his eyebrows and wrinkled his nose. "What kind of names are those?"  
  
"They were my mother and father's names."  
  
"Oh. Oh! I'm so sorry, I -"  
  
"It's fine."  
  
They finished their walk to the village in silence. But once there, they held onto each other's hands for dear life-the streets were crowded, it had never been this crowded in Shon. Katie transferred five copper coins into the Prince's pocket, keeping five for herself.  
  
"This is the money we use today. No more, no less. Although we can sell our shoes. or your hat."  
  
The Prince chuckled. Then he shivered. "My, it's cold. Why don't we return to the palace and get a cloak?"  
  
"Peasants can't return to the palace and get a cloak, so we won't. We need to save our money for food."  
  
"Ah, yes. I'm starving."  
  
Katie bought some bread with three of her coins and they split it between them-not enough to fill either one of them. Using two of the Prince's coins, they bought four handfuls of strawberries. They decided it would have to be enough; they couldn't use all ten coins in the first hour they were there.  
  
They found a small alley between the sweet smells of the bakery and the loud clanks of the blacksmith. It was a little wet from the rain the night before, but it would have to do.  
  
Using Katie's skirt as a table, they ate the strawberries quickly. They were still hungry, but they remembered their earlier vow and bought no more food.  
  
As they were sitting and eating the strawberries, a huge cart barreled by, throwing water in both directions at the people on the street - and soaking Katie and the Prince through and through.  
  
They were quickly swept up with the crowd and eventually shoved into a glass blower's shop. They gazed in amazement at the beautiful creations- tiny windows, little figurines, and glass goblets.  
  
Noon came and the Prince announced he was starving again. They reached for their money and discovered someone had stolen it from them when they were moving with the crowd.  
  
"What'll we do?" the Prince moaned. "We can't starve!"  
  
"No, so we'll have to steal."  
  
"STEAL? It's against the law, Katie, I -"  
  
"I'm Maggie, remember? And it's either steal or starve."  
  
"Now I see why peasants argue to being hanged for stealing. All right, lets steal. But steal what?"  
  
"Food, of course." Katie and the Prince passed by an apple stand. Katie accidentally knocked several apples from the stand. She cried out her apology and stooped to help the young boy watching the cart clear the apples from the street. He thanked her for helping him and watched them go.  
  
As soon as they were out of ear- and eyeshot, Katie tossed the Prince an apple, taking a big bite from her own.  
  
"What? How did you do that?"  
  
"I'm clever." Katie grinned and took another bite.  
  
Before long, they came to a vegetable stand. They decided Katie would knock some lettuce heads from the stand and the Prince would steal some celery and carrots. It would be trickier this time, as there were two girls watching it, rather than one boy.  
  
Katie passed by the lettuce heads, as planned, and knocked some over, as planned. She and the two girls stooped to pick them up and the Prince tucked carrots, celery, and even a lettuce heads into various spots in his clothes. The elder of the watching girls rose as he tucked the lettuce head into his hat.  
  
"Thief!" screamed the girl. The Prince turned and took off through the crowd, carrots and celery dropping from his clothes. The girl took after him, shouting for the younger girl to hold Katie.  
  
A chase emerged - the baker, the blacksmith, the silversmith, the fruit boy, the vegetable girl, and a few others who occupations the Prince couldn't name were all after him - and the glass blower caught him.  
  
Katie and the Prince were to be hanged at three o'clock.  
  
The world seemed to spin on its heel around Katie and the Prince, standing on the stools with the nooses around their necks. The vegetable girls and the fruit boy were right up front. People yelled and bickered and threw tomatoes.  
  
"Well, this is it." Katie looked at the Prince, worried.  
  
"Yes it is, Maggie."  
  
"Oh Timothy! My mother and father are dead! I'm the last of my family and now I'll be dead before I can make it go on! My family tree has ended!"  
  
"What of your stepmother?"  
  
"My wicked stepmother," Katie corrected. "She doesn't count. She's my STEPmother, she never produced an heir to my father."  
  
"I see."  
  
A man cloaked in black stepped up on the platform.  
  
And a blond girl with violet eyes appeared, hovering above them. The crowd fell silent, awed by a real fairy before their eyes.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Alisa's high voice was loud and booming, magicked so everyone could hear. "Would you ever kill the King?"  
  
"No!" the crowd chorused.  
  
"The Queen?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"The Prince?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then why do you?" Murmurs from the city people. "That's right! The lad before you about to be hanged is none other than His Majesty, Prince Kenneth!" The crowd gasped and slowly, everyone made a bow. "And the lass with him is Lady Margaret, a visiting friend of the cousin of the Prince, Lady Jane!" More murmurs. "I ask that you let them go!"  
  
The cloaked man hurried over and took the nooses from their heads. They stepped down from the stools.  
  
"Thank you, Alisa, thank you so much!" Katie wanted to hug her, but knew she would crush her since she was so small.  
  
With a smile from Alisa and a whoosh of her wand, Katie and the Prince were back at the palace.  
  
And the Prince helped walk the dogs every day.  
  
END CHAPTER 7  
  
Review, review, review! 


	8. Love

A/N: Before reading this, you may want to go back and reread some. because now the Prince doesn't know about Katie being a slave and that becomes important in this chapter. Enjoy!  
  
Yay! I finally updated! I went down to being number 51 from having no updates, which, if you've been following along, is strange because before I didn't go below 10. Okay, enough of me, onto the story!  
  
Chapter 8: Love  
  
Katie enjoyed her walks with the Prince. But he kept calling her "Katherine" and she soon begged him to call her Katie - and in return, he asked that she call him Kenny.  
  
Kenny was easy to talk to. When she came up with a new idea for the animals, but Jordie didn't like it, Katie asked Kenny what he thought of it. When a new law was made, they exchanged their opinions. Whenever a ball or party was discussed, they discussed it too.  
  
But one day that all changed. Kenny suddenly wasn't as easy to talk to. he seemed more distant from her, too. Had Janie predicted the future rather than the present?  
  
No, Kenny wasn't in love with her. Of course not.  
  
Katie felt herself growing shy around him. She wanted to hug him, tell him everything. She wanted to distance herself, tell him nothing. It was all too confusing.  
  
"Um, so Katie, how are you doing?"  
  
"I'm fine, how are you?"  
  
"Fine."  
  
That was one of the longest conversations they had.  
  
Katie started loving the little things he did . . .  
  
"Katie, you said you found so much about peasants when your friend Nikki took you out into the streets like you did to me." His head was tilted ever so slightly.  
  
"Yes, I did."  
  
He ran his fingers through his hair. "Well, I don't believe you."  
  
Katie stopped short and looked at him, blue eyes on gray. "Why not?" She noticed the freckles on his nose that had appeared ever since they had started walking outside so much.  
  
"I don't know, I just don't." He started walking again and Katie followed. "So how do you really know?" He had stopped again.  
  
Katie sighed and blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Duchess Starina is my stepmother."  
  
"That clears that up. The day when you took me to town, you said Maggie and Timothy were your mother and father's name. and I thought Starina was your mother's name!" He chuckled.  
  
Katie didn't laugh, just shook her head and sighed. "Starina killed my mother. There is no proof of it, but I know she did. She also killed my father, after wedding him. Now she's out to kill me. I think."  
  
Kenny was confused. "Why would she marry your father then kill him? And why does she want to kill you?"  
  
"It was a way to kill him without making it suspicious, since our cook Carita made the meal. And I have no idea why she would want to kill me."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Katie, I need to tell you something."  
  
More silence, this silence much longer and more painful than the earlier.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Katie, I think I. I mean, I do. I."  
  
"What is it, Kenny?"  
  
"Katie, I love you."  
  
Silence again. Kenny was panicking.  
  
"I love you too Kenny."  
  
Kenny turned Katie toward himself and kissed her.  
  
Katie was asked to come to dinner tonight with Kenny, the Queen, and the King. She accepted and ran to Janie's room.  
  
"Oh Janie, Janie, Janie! You were right! The Prince loves me!" She twirled around and landed on the bed. "Oh, I'm on cloud nine! Oooh!"  
  
Janie laughed. "I heard the whole thing outside my window!" Janie hurried over and picked Katie up in a hug. "Now, what will you wear to dinner tonight?" She giggled, grabbing Katie's wrist and half dragging her over to the wardrobe.  
  
"No, red is too bright. purple, hmmm, no the King and Queen will be wearing purple. Kenny's favorite color is green but if any other people are to be there, they'll be in green. orange, no, yellow, no. Blue is the only one left, unless you want white or black or gray or brown. Oh look, the blue will bring out your eyes perfectly!" She brought out a stunning gown from the closet. It was aqua blue and had two full skirts, both sparkling and the same color. The overskirt was lifted up here, here, here, here, here, and here with tiny aqua rosettes and the entire gown was glittering. There were no sleeves, but rather a sort of drapery that fell almost halfway down the bodice and slipped off the shoulders. Janie gave it to Katie. "Go try it on!" She gestured to the changing screen.  
  
It fit perfectly. Katie came out from behind the screen and slowly turned before Janie.  
  
"You're stunning. You need accessories though." Janie quickly found a necklace made from small round diamonds with a diamond shaped as a raindrop at the bottom. Raindrop - shaped diamonds were set as earrings and a diamond tiara was set on her head. She even let Katie borrow a sparkling pair of slippers made from diamond.  
  
The palace clock struck quarter until seven and Janie wished Katie luck and Katie left the room, her fingers crossed. She made her way to the dining room and arrived to find the room empty. A servant girl led her to her seat and explained that the King, Queen, and Prince would be announced exactly at seven.  
  
Katie sat nervously, twisting the cloth napkin, hoping she would do everything right. His Highness, the King. Her Grace, the Queen. She had to remember those. Kenny would be easy, he was His Majesty. His Highness, Her Grace.  
  
The clock struck seven.  
  
"HIS MAJESTY, PRINCE KENNETH!" Kenny hurried into the room, blushing, and took his seat across from Katie in the center of the long table.  
  
"HER GRACE, QUEEN LOUISE!" Queen Louise entered the room, nodded to Katie and Kenny, and took her seat at the chair at the end of the table to Katie's left.  
  
"HIS HIGHNESS, KING DEREK!" King Derek walked in, and had the shortest distance to travel, as his place at the table was right in front of him.  
  
"DINNER IS SERVED!" A small gong sounded.  
  
Dinner was silent and boring. Katie had been hoping to talk with Kenny, but she had no such luck. Through salads, meats, cheeses, and desserts, there was no noise but silver on china.  
  
Katie was relieved when dinner was over. She escaped to Janie's room and changed before Janie could return to the room. As she was hanging the aqua gown up in the wardrobe, a knock came from the door.  
  
"Come in!" Katie called, expecting Janie.  
  
It wasn't Janie, but rather Kenny.  
  
"Hi Katie."  
  
"Um, hi Kenny." Katie finished putting the jewelry away in silence.  
  
"Sorry about dinner. I just asked you to dinner so I'd have something to say. I wasn't thinking about how boring it usually was."  
  
"I understand."  
  
Silence. "Katie, I feel we should - "  
  
" - go tell your mother and father of our love? I feel the same." Kenny grinned and they left to search for the King and Queen.  
  
"They'll be in their bedroom," said Kenny as they hurried along.  
  
The door practically burst open for them as they rushed into the room. "Mother, Father, I've something to tell you."  
  
"Oh, Kenny!" The Queen stood, smiling. "We've something to tell you too."  
  
"Kenneth, your father and I have selected a bride for you."  
  
END CHAPTER EIGHT  
  
Hmm, I don't know. Feels kind of short - and - sudden to me. Oh well, you're the reviewers so you tell me! 


	9. Princess and Anger

A/N: Not much to say. Thanks to TigerLily! I was, truthfully, getting bored with this story and wasn't sure if I was gonna finish it. But, I'm back and I WILL finish it! I love the whole plot, I've had it all planned out since the beginning! I don't think anyone is expecting it! Hee hee hee! Read, review, and enjoy!  
  
CHAPTER NINE: Princess and Anger  
  
Kenny and Katie gaped at the Queen. Then the King. Then the Queen again.  
  
"You've . . . what?" was all Kenny could manage to stutter.  
  
"We've selected a bride for you," the Queen repeated. Kenny and Katie looked at each other in horror and returned their attention to the Queen.  
  
"Who?" Kenny asked.  
  
"Princess Berangaria!" The Queen exclaimed excitedly, clasping her hands together.  
  
"W-wait a minute. Berangaria? That stuck-up princess who thinks she's all that because she has blond hair and blue eyes? THAT Berangaria?"  
  
"Um, well, yes." The Queen gave another smile, but this one was fainter.  
  
"But Mother, I love - "  
  
"No one, I know. You want to fall in love 'naturally.' Well, that's not going to happen. You'll love Berangaria eventually, trust me!"  
  
"But - "  
  
"No ifs, ands, or buts. Now off to your room."  
  
Katie turned on her heel and left the room before Kenny could do anything. Kenny was being forced to marry some stuck-up, snobbish princess when he was in love with her! The Queen didn't even listen to what Kenny wanted to say!  
  
Katie turned left, right, up the stairs, right, right, another right, and found herself at Janie's room. She knocked on the door and heard Janie call, "Cohm im!"  
  
Confused by Janie's language, Katie entered and Janie's words were explained.  
  
Janie held up the platter. "Sugar cookie?"  
  
Katie shook her head and gently sat on Janie's bed. "What's wrong?" asked Janie, sitting beside her.  
  
"What do you mean what's wrong?"  
  
"You sat on the bed too gently. You always bounce onto it. What's wrong?"  
  
Katie sighed. Janie knew her too well. "Kenny's betrothed to Princess Berangaria."  
  
"Yeah, so?"  
  
"Janie!" Katie hit Janie with a pillow.  
  
"What? I thought you didn't love him!"  
  
"Well . . . I didn't! But now . . . And he loves me . . ."  
  
"Katie and Kenny, sittin' in a tree!"  
  
"Janie, I came to you for HELP and ADVICE not TEASING and TORTURE!"  
  
"Okay, okay." Janie closed her eyes and pretended to meditate. Her eyes popped open suddenly. "I got it! Tell the King and Queen about your love for Kenny and he can say he loves you!"  
  
"Um, Janie? Don't you think we've tried that already?"  
  
"Hmmm, okay. What about the ball?"  
  
"What ball?"  
  
Janie sighed. "Don't you pay attention? There's to be a ball announcing the betrothal of Kenny and Princess Berangaria. At the ball, ask for a dance with the King. If he accepts, explain your love and Kenny's love for you. Maybe he'll change his mind."  
  
Katie decided this was good. But there was one flaw. "And if he doesn't accept the dance?"  
  
Janie grinned. "I'll make 'im accept the dance!"  
  
Katie threw her arms around Janie. "Thank you so much Janie!"  
  
"Hey, what're friends for?"  
  
~*~  
  
The Princess arrived a week before the ball. She was beautiful, with golden blond hair and blue eyes. But there was something about her. Her hair refused to grow in curls and Katie had seen her struggle with the curling iron, so her hair was always straight. It was straight, yes, and there was no shine to it. And it wouldn't grow past her shoulders without getting stringy. And her eyes were blue, but a very pale blue and were flat, had no depth. She also had high cheekbones, giving the impression that her beauty was hiding something ugly  
  
The Princess's gowns were always purple. No matter the occasion, purple cloth was draped over her. Dinner, garden walks, even for bed her nightgown was dyed lavender.  
  
Princess Berangaria and Kenny were very distant from each other. Even in their walks through the garden together, they refused to talk or even look at each other.  
  
But worst of anything, from Berangaria to the Queen's refusal to listen to Kenny, was Kenny's distance from Katie herself. He never talked to her, not even looked at her. Katie recalled a horrible event to Janie once:  
  
Katie saw Kenny walking down the hall. The place was deserted, so she called, "Kenny!"  
  
Kenny turned and saw her. "You will address me as 'You're Majesty,' servant girl." And he turned and walked away.  
  
Then, two days before the ball, an unexpected visitor arrived.  
  
Katie was scrubbing the floor of the grand hall when Starina pushed her way through. Katie gasped in horror and Starina half-dragged Katie out of the palace and into a coach.  
  
"WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" cried Starina on the way home. "RUNNING AWAY FROM ME?"  
  
"Um, excuse me Starina? It's been months since you left me here. If you had been searching for me, you would have found me long ago."  
  
Starina slapped Katie. "Do not talk to me in such tones, Katherine!" She calmed herself. "I suppose I should keep you up to date with what's been happening at our house."  
  
Katie shrugged. "You don't have to."  
  
"Well, that's too bad!" Starina looked out the window as she spoke. "I've married Arena and Brenda off, so they're gone. They found old, rich widowers to marry."  
  
"That's nice."  
  
"Gale's dead."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"I was about to marry her off, when her suitor got sick of her and drowned her."  
  
"Whoa . . ."  
  
Starina snapped her head around and stared at Katie. "You will help my daughters prepare gowns for the ball. We're leaving tonight, and when we're back from the ball, I will decide your punishment for running away. Is everything clear, Katherine?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
END CHAPTER 9  
  
Well, that was fun. Starina angry, Katie angry, Kenny angry. Fun, fun, fun! Review, review, review! 


	10. The Ball

:-O I've updated! Finally! I promise the next chapter will be up sooner, since I'm on Christmas break now. Probably at least not until Saturday, but still, much sooner than this one! Anyway, enjoy and review!  
  
Chapter 10: The Ball  
  
The next few days were rough for Katie. Callista and Fayre constantly argued about their gowns.  
  
"I'll wear the red velvet gown," Callista said.  
  
Then Fayre would retort with, "I'll wear my usual petticoat, but with my grand gold gown over it, which much more splendid than your's."  
  
To this Callista would become angry and cry, "Well, I'll wear my fancy lace and carry my lace fan!"  
  
"Well, I'll wear my diamond stomacher!" was Fayre's comeback.  
  
This went on the entire time. Loreen was Katie's only relief. She didn't care what she wore, as long as it was pretty. In the end, Callista wore the red velvet, Fayre wore green velvet, Loreen wore pink silk, and Starina wore black satin. Starina and the girls left the house in a rush, locking the door behind them.  
  
There was the rest of today and most of the next day until the ball. Surely by then Katie could find a way out of the house . . . And find a ball gown . . . And walk to the palace, or at least to town to rent a coach . . . but with what money?  
  
Oh, it was hopeless.  
  
All her love for Kenny was going down the drain.  
  
Or not.  
  
Not an hour after Starina had left had past before the door flew open and none other than Alisa came flying through the door. In after her scampered Rolly, Tubby, Rattail, and Frank. After them came Lizzia and, finally, a large pumpkin from Katie's garden.  
  
"Alisa!" Katie cried, jumping up from the hall fireplace. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hi Katie!"  
  
"Hello there, Rolly!"  
  
"Katie," Alisa began, "you're going to the ball."  
  
Katie sadly looked down at her toes. "I wish I could, Alisa, but I've no coach, driver, horses, not even a gown to wear!"  
  
Alisa just smiled knowingly and zapped the pumpkin. It bounced out of the house. Alisa followed it, gesturing for Katie to come also. Katie went outside and found no pumpkin, but rather a large, orange coach.  
  
Katie stumbled in astonishment. "A-Alisa? Was that the pumpkin?"  
  
Alisa smiled. "Of course! Rolly, Tubby, Rattail, Frank! Come out here now!" Alisa lurked by the door. The mice came out one by one and one by one Alisa zapped them into magnificent brown horses. The horse Rolly was slightly fatter than the others, Frank was slightly thinner, Tubby had a brown spot on his back, and Rattail still had a rat's tail instead of the long, hair- like tail a horse would normally have.  
  
"No driver," Katie pointed out.  
  
At that moment, Lizzia came out. Katie grinned upon understanding and Alisa zapped Lizzia. He jumped up into a fine driver, wearing a green and silver uniform.  
  
"Lizzia," Katie said to the once-lizard, "you make a fine human!"  
  
"Thank you, Missss Katie!" slithered the lizard-turned-driver. He got up on his perch and Katie looked at it.  
  
"It's wonderful!" she exclaimed, turning to Alisa. "Thank you so, so much! But what am I to do when I get there? If Starina sees me, she'll kill me. And I have no gown!"  
  
Alisa smiled, but twice. For just a fraction of a second, her smile was wicked and evil, then it changed to the happy smile Katie was used to seeing on her. "When you get to the palace, Janie will be waiting for you outside. She'll give you a gown and take care of everything. You're going to be fine, Katie."  
  
Climbing into the pumpkin coach, Katie thanked Alisa once more. Alisa vanished with a pop and, leaning out the window, Katie saw a rainbow appear in the sky. The pumpkin coach took off into the sky, faster than Katie could have ever imagined, with the rainbow as its multicolored path.  
  
~*~  
  
Katie's coach landed on the ground. Though the trip was fast, it took a whole day to arrive, and somehow Starina had managed to get there before her. Fortunately, Starina had been there much earlier and had no way of seeing Katie's arrival. The pumpkin coach, mice horses, and lizard driver vanished as soon as Katie had exited it. Janie was at the door and without a word, she draped a navy, velvet cloak over Katie's shoulders and pulled the hood up over her head.  
  
"Follow me," she whispered. Katie nodded, but had doubt Janie saw her through all the velvet folds.  
  
They arrived in Janie's room and the cloak was removed.  
  
"The ball is in just an hour until the ball," Janie said, explaining her stunning yellow ball gown without realizing it. "We have to get you ready!"  
  
Janie through open the wardrobe and immediately pulled out the glittering, aqua blue gown Katie had worn to dinner. The diamond accessories Katie had also worn were brought forward. It was time for the ball and Janie wasn't permitted to be late, while Katie was -- so Janie rushed off to let Katie finish.  
  
Katie fastened the necklace on and swept her hair up -- it was messy, but it looked pretty that way, especially with the tiara carefully set on it. She passed on the earrings and stepped into the diamond slippers. Katie made her way to the ball.  
  
It was dazzling, with people sweeping about the room in graceful dances. Katie made her way in undetected. But she was only halfway to Kenny when the music and dancing stopped and the King's voice boomed over the crowd.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming to this ball! My son, Prince Kenneth, would like to tell you why this ball was announced."  
  
There was silence. Katie made her way forward. She presumed Kenny was standing and the King was sitting right now.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen, as my father said, thank you for coming."  
  
Katie pressed onward. She wasn't going to let Kenny go through with this!  
  
"And as he also said, I would like to tell you why this ball has been announced."  
  
Almost there!  
  
"The ball is to announce my--"  
  
Kenny stopped. There before him, having made her way to the front, was Katie. She was stunning, in the aqua gown and diamond things she had worn to dinner. He held is hand out to her and she took it. He brought her up onto the small stage.  
  
"The ball is to announce my calling off of my engagement to Princess Berengaria." Kenny turned to the King and Queen. "Mother, Father, I want to marry this girl, Katie."  
  
Katie could hardly contain her joy.  
  
END CHAPTER TEN  
  
That was fun! Balls always are fun to write. More ball in the next chapter. Well, sort of. You'll see! From here on out, Starina sort of takes over. But I'm giving too much away! Til next time -- review! 


	11. Revealed

I know! I know. I promised an update like a month ago. But oh well, I broke my promise.

  
Sadly, there are only two more chapters . . . possibly three, but that's doubtful. So, enjoy!

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Revealed

Starina stood in the large crowd, satisfied. Her work was almost complete.

But then Katie, clad in a ball gown, shoved Starina out of the way and the Prince brought her up on the stage – he was calling off the engagement and asking to marry Katie instead!

_No!_ thought Starina. _No, it mustn't happen this way! The Prince must marry_ Berengaria, _not Katie! NO!_

Starina's thoughts took over and before she could prevent herself, she turned to Loreen, Callista, and Fayre. She barked at them to ready their coach and soon was making her way to the stage. She gave the royal family a small, wicked smile and a barely noticeable curtsy before seizing Katie's hand and pushing through the crowd.

"Starina, no!" Katie cried as Starina yanked her off the stage. Katie fell to the ground and one of the diamond slippers Janie had loaned her. "Starina, please! Please!"

Katie looked around at the crowd, looking for Janie. "JANIE!" she screamed. "JANIE WHERE ARE YOU?!" Janie didn't produce herself, the crowd didn't stir.

Alisa! "ALISA!" Katie yelled. "Alisa, I need you now more than ever! ALISA!"

"Shut up, foolish girl!" Starina snapped. They were away from the crowds now, away from Kenny's help, and Janie's help, away from the music, spinning gowns of velvet, satin, and silk, away from everything. Katie was doomed.

Starina continued dragging Katie through the corridors of the palace until they were at the coach. She shoved Katie in, climbed in after. Callista, Fayre, and Loreen were in the coach as well and Katie had been able to notice there was no driver sitting in the front.

So how was the coach moving?

"It's time," Starina said, glaring evilly at Katie, "you knew."

"Knew what?" Katie didn't really want to know, but she asked anyway.

"My plan. You can't destroy me now. I'll be killing you as soon as we get to the mansion."

Katie remained silent. She would soon be with her father and mother again. But she would never see Kenny ever again.

"I found myself falling in love with your father, its true. I killed your mother to marry him. I later realized you and your father would get in the way of my becoming Queen. So I murdered your father and framed that cook."

"I knew you did it."

"Don't speak until we're at the mansion or I'll kill you right here in this coach! Understood?" Katie nodded.

Starina continued. "I made you a servant because I didn't want to kill you – not yet, you might be able to help me to get to the royal family. But four years past and I realized that no, I wouldn't need you. So we took a trip to the palace and I left you there to get you out of my way.

"But while we were there, you befriended Lady Jane. When she disappeared from your view in the window, I murdered her as well. For months I've been switching forms between Lady Jane and myself. Yes, Katie. All of your secrets were being confided in your enemy – me."

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

"But there's more! Oh yes, more, Katie, more!" Starina broke into a wicked laugh and ended it with a sigh of contentment. "I'm Alisa, too. I appeared to you in the garden, I brought you the pumpkin, I turned the mice into horses, lizard into driver, and pumpkin to coach. I did it all!"

"I hate you, Starina."

"I know. But then, before the ball, before I brought you back to the mansion because you were getting in the way there, I sent Gale as Princess Berengaria  -- after I murdered the real Princess, of course – and planned on marrying Gale off to the Prince, killing the royal family, and then crowning myself Queen. Then you got in the way again. So I'm taking you back to the mansion, will murder you, and then convince the King and Queen to force the Prince into marrying Gale, also known as Berengaria."

"It hate you more."

The coach halted.

"Home already?"

"I'm magical, Katie," Starina reminded. "Now, let's take you inside and kill you."

Katie went in silently, knowing her time had come.

But of course, as always is the way, her time hadn't come.

Just as Starina had raised a knife in the air and was about to stab Katie to death, the doorbell rang.

"Why now?" a frustrated Starina asked nobody in particular. She stood up, and then smiled playfully. She shoved Katie forward. "Answer the door, Katie. Maybe it's your beloved Prince, coming to save you!"

Katie slowly made her way forward and turned the knob. The door opened and who should it be but Katie's beloved Prince, coming to save her!

END CHAPTER 11

Yeah, I know. It's sort of the typical Prince-saves-helpless-girl thing. But what can I say? I think Katie's been saving herself a lot! Sort of. Kind of. Oh well. Next: The shoe fitting!

By the way: Were you surprised? ;-) Oh, and sorry it was so short. :-(


	12. Ever After

Chapter 12: Ever After

Kenny came in, holding up the crystal shoe Katie had worn to the ball. He winked at her and she grinned. "Duchess Starina!" Kenny said as he entered the hall. "I am traveling the kingdom to find the maiden who wore this crystal slipper. The maiden at the ball who I want to marry was wearing it before she disappeared. Would you like to give your daughters the opportunity to become my bride?"

      It took all Katie's strength not to laugh at Starina's wide eyes. "YES!" she nearly screamed, seizing the shoe. "Callista! Fayre! Loreen! COME DOWN HERE!" Loud thumps were heard as the three girls made their way downstairs. Callista and Fayre had their hair all messed up and they were dressed in wrinkled robes. They made a failing attempt to look nice when they saw the prince. "Here, Callista, all you have to do is put on your shoe."

      "That's not my – oof!" Starina jammed her elbow into Callista's stomach. The girl took the slipper and sat on a stool, trying to shove her foot into the shoe. But her foot was much too big and so was Fayre's. Loreen's foot was too small.

      "I'm afraid we can't help you," said Starina. "Maybe you should just marry that fine Princess Berangaria."

      "The Princess was discovered to be a girl in disguise." Starina looked sick. "What about this girl?" Kenny led Katie to the stool and ignored Starina's protests. He guided the slipper onto Katie's foot and helped her up. He pulled her into a long, passionate kiss.

      When they finally broke away, Katie laughed and said, "I couldn't have done it without my wicked stepmother!" Starina broke into a hissy fit and started to stomp from the room until the royal guards came in and dragged her away.

      "Her deeds have earned her only, I'd say, fifty or so years in the dungeons." Katie laughed at Kenny's remark and he scooped her up into his arms to take her back to the palace.

      The wedding was a fine affair. Katie forgave Fayre, Loreen, Callista, and Gale and they became her ladies-in-waiting. Starina starved in the dungeons. Katie and Kenny had four children, Jane, Berry, Maggie, and Timmy. They were named for the people Starina killed during her plots, Lady Jane, Princess Berengaria, Margaret, and Timothy.

      Kenny became known as Prince Kenneth the Great, later King Kenneth.

      And Katie became known as Princess Katherine the Beautiful, though she insisted being called Katie, and later became Queen Katherine.

      Kenny and Katie were the best King and Queen the kingdom had ever had.

      And everyone lived happily ever after.

      The End

**A/N: **It's over! I can't believe it. Sorry the last few chapters were all so short. I hope you all enjoyed this story. Thank you so much for reading! I'm gonna go cry now! (Review!)


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